Next Volkswagen Polo spotted

Volkswagen’s next Polo has been caught almost completely undisguised while parked up at Johannesburg airport, by South African Car magazine.

Like the recently launched Golf Mark 7.5, the sixth-generation Polo's design is evolutionary, belying the fact that the Ford Fiesta-rival is actually all-new from the ground-up.

Set to be the first car to be built on the AO platform - the smallest version of the Volkswagen group’s MQB architecture - the small supermini will be underpinned by a lighter stiffer structure.

The platform switch also brings benefit in interior packaging.

The Polo gets a longer wheelbase, stretched from 2470mm to around 2560mm - this helps liberate interior space giving more legroom to front and rear passengers.

Maintaining a sub-four metre length, it's clear from the pics the small supermini will have shorter front- and rear overhangs.

Under the bonnet the Polo will come with 1.0-litre three-cylinder and 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel variants, all turbocharged except for the base 56kW 1.0-litre. Turbo three-cylinder variants are anticipated to produce 75kW and 86kW. It’s believed the turbo-petrol will be offered in 104kW and 119kW form, while it’s thought the 1.6-litre turbo-diesels will come in three states of tune producing 67kW, 82kW and 97kW.

Gearboxes should include a manual five-speeder at the bottom of the range, switching up to a six-speeder, then to a seven-speed DSG.

From earlier spyshots it's clear Volkswagen is also working on a replacement for its current Polo GTI.

That car will need at least 150kW to match the performance of Ford's recently revealed Fiesta ST.

Like the Touareg that was also snapped at the same South African airport, the Polo is expected to make its official debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September.